Baby Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who stands to inherit Norway's throne some day, was the center of attention on Saturday when she was christened before hundreds of guests at the Royal Palace in Oslo. She was fairly calm before all the fuss began.
The palace was decked out with floral displays, a red carpet and lots of police security for the royal christening. Many fans of the monarchy turned out early to get a first-hand glimpse of the comings and goings.
Among the first to arrive was Sven O Høiby, the colourful and controversial father of Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The two have been estranged, but he happily accepted an invitation to the christening.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra herself also arrived at the palace plenty early. Here she's helped out of the car by her father, Crown Prince Haakon.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit sported an unusual hair decoration that matched her outfit. Here, she carries her three-month-old daughter into the palace.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Crown Prince Haakon and their daughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra were also joined by seven-year-old Marius Borg Høiby, the crown princess' son from an earlier relationship. He later helped lead the procession into the royal chapel.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was the only member of another European royal family to attend Saturday's christening ceremony for Norway's new royal heir. She was among Princess Ingrid Alexandra's godmothers.
Both of King Harald's sisters, Princess Astrid (shown here) and Princess Ragnhild attended Saturday's christening. The family was shook up earlier this year when Princess Ragnhild publicly criticized its next generation, but she was invited anyway.
When the roughly 300 christening guests were seated in the palace's chapel, the crown couple and royal heir entered, followed by Queen Sonja and King Harald.
Experts generally agreed it was a fine ceremony, even though Princess Ingrid Alexandra wailed through most of it.She entered the chapel calmly, carried by her mother Crown Princess Mette-Marit before around 300 invited guests. But as soon as she was handed over to her father, Crown Prince Haakon, when Mette-Marit stood up to speak, the wailing began.
It continued through most of Oslo Bishop Gunnar Stålsett's sermon, who nonetheless declared it was a day of joy "that awakens warm feelings."
The chapel, recently refurbished to the tune of NOK 4 million, was decorated with the baby princess' own small pink rose, along with pussy willows and other spring flowers. Guests arrived through a floral arch set up outside the palace's main entrance that resembled her mother's wedding bouquet.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra wore the same christening gown that her father's grandfather, King Olav V, wore at his own christening on August 11, 1903. The baby princess, who as Crown Prince Haakon's first-born child stands to take over as reigning queen one day, was named in part after the late king.
He was born in England as a Danish prince, Alexander Edward Christian Frederik, the son of Denmark's Prince Carl and England's Princess Maud. All three of them later formed Norway's royal family when the newly sovereign country voted to establish a monarchy after centuries of Danish and Swedish rule.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra was the first to use King Olav's christening gown, which is made of nearly transparent cotton with lace and narrow silk ribbons. Its cap, however, was new and designed after the style of the time.
The baby princess was carried to the baptismal font by her grandfather King Harald, and she cried all through it. Also present as godmothers were her aunt Princess Martha Louise, her maternal grandmother Marit Tjessem and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Her half-brother Marius, the crown princess' son from an earlier relationship, was also on hand, carrying a candle that the bishop eventually lit and called "Princess Ingrid Alexandra's light."
More than 200 of the christening guests, who included Norway's government ministers and a host of other dignitaries as well as family and friends, were invited to a luncheon at the palace immediately following the ceremony.
